Florida town stunned by news of police KKK ties

Monday

Jul 21, 2014 at 9:20 AM

Ann Hunnewell and her central Florida police officer husband knelt in the living room of a fellow officer's home, with pillow cases as makeshift hoods over their heads. A few words were spoken and they, along with a half-dozen others, were initiated into the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, she says.

Associated Press

FRUITLAND PARK — Residents of a small, central Florida town say they’re shocked and disgusted by the recent disclosure that two members of its police force are accused of being members of the Ku Klux Klan.The Florida Department of Law Enforcement last week released a report saying Fruitland Park Deputy Chief David Borst and Officer George Hunnewell were Klan members. Borst denies being a member.Borst resigned and Hunnewell was fired last week. A third Fruitland Park officer resigned in 2010 after his Klan ties became public.A researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center says it’s extremely rare nowadays to find police officers who are Klan members.Cases the officers worked on also are under scrutiny. On Friday, prosecutors dismissed three cases — two traffic offenses and a misdemeanor battery.